Rotherham halloween fundraiser smashes donation target for children’s hospice
“I couldn’t believe how much we raised. It just kept going up and up, and we’ve still got donations trickling in online”
A fundraiser has raised more than triple its target by putting on an enormous Halloween display from a house in Dinnington.
Helen Azar runs the Wicked Wonderland fundraiser every year from her home on Breck Ln to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
Having raised more than £4,500 over the previous two years of the event, Helen managed to smash her fundraising goal this year by collecting over £5,000.
She said: “I couldn’t believe how much we raised. It just kept going up and up, and we’ve still got donations trickling in online.
“It just seems like such a win-win - we helped people out and it brought so much joy to so many people,” she added.
This year’s event saw hundreds of people turn out, from babies as young as 11-days-old to people aged 80.
More than 1,700 sweets were handed out to trick-or-treaters throughout last week, with an emergency resupply run required on Saturday morning.
Helen said: “It was really really busy but not so overwhelming that it was uncomfortable, and we had a queue of people down the street at one point.
“We had families that were coming every night. They were saying that their children had not stopped talking about it!”
The event looked unlikely to open after Storm Boelo destroyed many of Helen’s hand-made decorations last weekend, but after the community rallied to rebuild it Helen was moved by their support.
She said: “A huge huge thank you to everyone who’s come and supported us and been so positive.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by how supportive everyone is and I want to say a huge thank you to what is now a big team of people.
“I’ve got this crazy idea and it just got much bigger than I ever anticipated it would. “I couldn't have done it without them.”
Helen is already back to work this week and has not even had time to fully dismantle the display.
She said: “I’m shattered to be honest! I’m emotionally and physically exhausted but it’s just such a high.”
Wicked Wonderland will return next year, and Helen’s mind is already swirling with ideas to make it the best one yet.